Judge: 85 percent of sentence must be served before being eligible for parole

Former Neptune Township Police Sgt. Philip Seidle was sentenced to 30 years in prison Thursday for the brutal killing of his estranged wife last year, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced Thursday.

The sentence for one count of first degree aggravated manslaughter by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Joseph W. Oxley is subject to the No Early Release Act [NERA)] provision, requiring him to serve 85 percent of the sentence or 25 years and six months before being eligible for parole. The 51-year-old also was handed a 5-year concurrent sentence for endangering the welfare of a child.

Seidle pleaded guilty in March to chasing his ex-wife Tamara Wilson-Seidle on June 16, 2015, through the streets of Neptune and Asbury Park, resulting in the collision of her vehicle with another car on Sewall Avenue in Asbury Park.

He admitted to exiting his own vehicle following the crash and shooting his ex-wife 12 times as she sat inside her car. He further admitted, the shooting caused Tamara’s death, and that he committed the crime while his then-7-year-old daughter sat nearby inside his vehicle.

A 22-year veteran of the Neptune Township Police Department, Seidle was first hired as a patrolman in July 1993. He held the rank of sergeant in the patrol division since January 2009. Following the tragedy, he was suspended without pay.

From the news release:

Asbury Park police responded to a report of an unrelated motor vehicle accident near the intersection of Ridge and Sewall Avenues in the city at approximately 11:26 a.m. on June 16, 2015. During that service call, the black 2012 Volkswagen Jetta, driven by Tamara Seidle, turned the corner onto Sewall Avenue before crashing into a parked 2002 Ford Focus. The Jetta was being followed closely by the 2005 Honda Pilot driven by Philip Seidle, who exited the vehicle, pulled out a handgun and approached the driver’s side of the Jetta. Philip Seidle fired multiple shots into the vehicle, striking Tamara Seidle. Philip Seidle then turned the weapon on himself, pointing the weapon at his head, before moving to the front of the Jetta and firing several more shots into the windshield of the vehicle.

After firing the second round of shot-bursts, Philip Seidle returned the weapon to his head prompting a stand-off with on-scene police officers from the Asbury Park and Neptune Township police departments. The stand-off with Seidle ended around 12:17 p.m. when he surrendered and was taken into custody.

In addition to officers from the Asbury Park and Neptune Township police departments, investigators from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshal’s Service responded to the scene.

The case was prosecuted by Monmouth County First Assistant Prosecutor Marc C. LeMieux and Assistant Prosecutor Christopher J. Decker, the Director of the Office’s Major Crimes Bureau. Seidle is represented by Edward C. Bertucio of Eatontown.